Acid-concentrating apparatus.



A.;PATTEN. ACID CONCENTRATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLEYD N0v.2a,1911.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

4 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

LPATTEN. ACID CONCENTRATING APPARATUS.

APifLlcATloN man No1/.2a. 1911.v :Patented NOV'- 26, 1918.

4 SHEETS-faulen 3.

,64 Zi y Y `J. PATTEN. ACID CQNCENTRATING APPARATUS. APPLlcAnoN FILED Nov. 2a, 1911;

1,286,188. PatentedNov. 26,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4'.

l l l Original application filed April 19; 1917. Serial No. 163,209. Divided .and this application lcd Novel Serial No. 204,441.

vUNITED 'STATES PATENT (.)FFTC JOHN PATTEN. OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND ACID-CONCENTRATING APPARATUS.

mv application #163.209, tiled April 19,

19'17, relates to acid concentrating apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus used for concentrating weak or dilute sulfuric acid which has absorbed water vapor in a vacuum ice making apparatus, and

-consists in certain radical improvements in an apparatus of this type described in my Patents Numbers 676,663 and 676,664.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide an apparatus which willoperate a maximum length of time before requiring repairs or adjustments and in which the interior parts are accessible foi-'inspection and repairs merely by lifting off a fewparts. In the above mentioned application the improvements in the upper parts of the apparatus have been claimed, the claims ofthis application be-v ing directed to the bottom structure, means for conducting the acid from Vone container to another. and the means Jfor draining the apparatus. The pipes for conducting the acid from one container to the next enter the containers at the bottom thereof and have well `rounded bends therein so as to easily take up any expansion and contractior of parts. These pipes are surrounded and protected b v casings which are carried by the inclined bottoms of the shells. thus affording a drain and means for collecting any acid'leakage; and the bottom of the lead liner is flat and is supported so as to be maintained lat b v a plurality of plates, some of which are movablv mounted on rollers supported b v the inclined or conical bottoms in spaced relation thereto so as toy permit any acid leakage .to drain to the` low part of the bottom without coming in Contact with the rollers. Other fczuures of the invention will be apparent from the descriptiontaken Ain connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion Specification of Letters Patent.

, each supported on uprights B.

Patented Nov. 26.

away, taken substantially on a longitudinal center line represented bv the line 4 4. ot' Fig. Q and looking in the direction indicated b v the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken .suhstantially on the line 5 5 of Fig.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view taken subA stantia'llv on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the supporting plates at the bottom of the shell. some of the plates being broken away in order to shew the roller supporting lugs on the bottom.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the movable plates with the rollers attached thereto.

Beforev describing in detail the improvements which constitute this intention the general arrangement and organization. ot the apparatus will be briefly set tcrth. lieferring to Figs. 1. Q and 3. it will. he observed that the. apparatus consists essentiallv of a series of containers A which are The elevation of the iirst or left hand container as viewed in Fig. 1 is the greatesteach ot the containers toward the right being a little lower than its predecessor in order to cause a circulation of the acid from the lett toward the right. The acid is fed to the iirst cont..iner through a pipe C and .is withdrawn Jfrom the last container through a pipe D and is conducted from one container to tl e next b v pipes F which will he described iu detail hereinafter. Fach ot the containers has a heating coil arranged Atherein and the acid is maintained at such d Il steam header K.. Suitable valves are pro` vided for controlling the circulation of the entering live steam andthe returned steam and water. The first or left hand container is not supplied with live steam as are the others but the medium for` heating thecoils consists of the steam and water which is fed to the coils of this container through the small )ipes L and M leading out of the condense( steam header K. VvThe steam and water'from the coils of the irst container are withdrawn through the small pipes N and O to aA header P which is connected with the receiver pump Q. The to portions of the containers are provided wit r diametrically oppositely arranged nozzles R and S which are adapted to be connected to corresponding nozzles on the adjacent contalners, thus forming a vapor passagewhich continuous through the t0 s of all the containers. The nozzle on the nal container 1s adapted to be connected to a con- ,D vdenser or vacuum pump so that the interior of. all the' containers 1s maintalned at as high a vacuum as is commercially practical. Thus the water vapor will be taken oif at a relatively low temperature.

. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the container isy of a substantially cylindrical shape and has a shell portion 2O which is preferably made of cast iron. At its lower edge this shell 'portion 20 is flanged -and carries an i inclined bottom 21 which is of a general v, conical shape' andis formed with a pair of nozzles and 23 at the lower portion thereof. 'Th1s bottom is provided with a plurahty of circularly arranged series of upstanding lugs 24, the lugs in any one series being lspaced circumferentially to provide passages 25 therebetween. The top surfaces of these vlugs 24 are flush and are adapted to support rollers 26 carried by the sector plates 27.

The interior of the body portion of the shell 20 is protected by a lead lining 28. The bottom edges of this lining 28 are fianged inwardly as at 29 and are fused or burned to a fiat bottom piece 30. This bottom of the liner 28 is iat and is adapted to be supported so that it will be maintained flat by a central circular plate 31 supported on the bottom 21 by means of the standard 32, and a series of sector plates 27 which are arranged around the central plate 31 with a slight clearance circumferentiallyv between over the aperture 34 and projects vertically A high enough so that the acid will be maintained in the container at a level suiiicient to immersey the heating coils. The invention however is iiot limited to this particular .means for maintaining the proper amount ofacid in the container as obviously the parts may be disposed in a different manner to accomplish this purpose.. The portions of the pipes E between the nozzles 22 and 23 are surrounded by a casing which may be made by the two sections 36 and 37. The

section 36 is adapted to be joined tothe nozzles 22 and 23 and the section 37 is fastened to the section 36 so that it may be removed to permit access to the pipe E; At one end the section 37 which in eifect constitutes a trough, is provided with a receptacle 38 connected to the section 37 by a pipe 39. Thus acid which Hows into the trough 37 will drain through the pipe 39 into a receptacle 38 which may be emptied as desired. In order to clearly indicate the amount of acid in the receptacle 38, the walls 40 may be glass if desired. As the left hand container as viewed in Fig. 4 is lower than the right hand container, a

spacer 41 is inserted between the nozzle 22 and the connecting portion of the section 36 `-ithe nozzles 22 and 23 and collect inthe bottom sections 37 of the casing surrounding the pipes E; As the acid is liable to stand or collect in the sections 37, they may be lprotected b v a lead lining 42. The other surfaces just mentioned being inclined or vertical, the acid flows over the same and does not remain long enough to ca use any serious damage. The rollers 26 which support the movable sector plates 27 have been mounted on the lugs 24 so that they w1ll not have any acid come in Contact with them.

lIt has been found that when the rollers rest on a bottom over which the acid Hows that the sulfate of iron formed prevents the rollers from moving and intime. enough sulfate is formed so as to push the movable plates 27 upwardly and buckle the bottoni of the lead liner. It will be obvious that because of the inclined bottom 21 and the method of mounting the rollers that connecting the containers bv a pipe joined Y to the bottom ot the lead liners and having well rounded bends therein. the expansion and contraction ot the containers and-the pipe are taken up in the pipe without yany v"injury whatever to the connections ot` thc same with the lead lining. lt will be very ?c'lear that this is a very limportant feature and that this construction overcomes the trouble which Jfollows leaky joints in the pipesl joining the containers. Moreover. the joining pipes E are surrounded by casings so that theyare protectcdsai'id at the same time these casings form collectors for the acid leakage. Y.

As shown in the drawings. two heating coils 5'2 and are mounted ou supports 5l and carried by the bottom of the liner. these supports being varranged so that they are directly over the sector plates 27. These coils havey the inlet pipes and 5T and the discharge or outlet pipes 5S and 59.

For a further description of the parts ot the apparatus not claimed in this application reference may be hadto the application referred to above.

In the operation of the apparatus. lilute Vacid is constantly fed through the pipe C into the first container A, in which it is subjected to the heat abstracted from the steam in the-'heating coils As high a vacuum as is commercially practical ismaintained in the containers so that the water is boiled off at a low temperature. A constant circulation of the acid through the containers is maintained and it is gradually concentrated in the successive containers and linally dis- Ncharged through the pipe D after it has ,"reached the proper concentration which is #usually aboutfiO or 61 degrees Baume.

maintaining the bottom ot' tlie "'ieaddiners;

flat are. very important features. ln practice it is found practically impossible to prevent acid from getting in between the lead liners and the shell. The particular t'orm ol' the bottom ot' the containers thus all'ords a very eliicient means; t'or draining acid which thus escapes and collecting it in the casings which surround tluyconnector pipes Ii.

Furthermore by maintaining the bottom supporting rollers G above the inclined surl'aces ot' the contat.` r bottoms they arc ont ot` contact with an)` acid and are not suh- .iected to the action ot the same.

`though the improvements have been described spet'iiieally. it is obvious that the details thereof may he varied to considerable extent without departing` from the spirit olfy the invention.

llaving thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured hv Letters latent is: i

l. ln an acid concentratingT apparatus. a container having a lead lining the bottom ot' which is flat. means for supporting said bottom including a central plate and a series otl .sector plates arranged around the central plate. the top surfaces ot' all the plates being substantially flush and said sector plates being mounted for radial movement independently of the central plate.

2. In an acid concentrating apparatus. a container having a lead lining the bottom of which is flat. means for supporting said bottom including a rigidly mounted central circular plate. and a series of sector plates arranged around the central plate, the. top surfaces of all the plates being substantially flush and said sector plates being mounted for radial movement independently of the central plate.

3. In an acid concentrating apparatus, a container having a lead lining the bottom of which is flat. means for supporting said bottom including a central plate and a series of sector plates arranged around the central plate, the top surfaces of all the plates being substantially flush, and rollers for supportingrskaid sector plates for radial movement independently of the central plate.

4:. In an acid concentrating apparatus, a container having an inclined bottom adapted to drain from the outside. of the container toward the center thereof, a' lead lining in said container. means for supporting and maintaining the bottom of the lining fiat, including movable plates, rollers for supporting said plates, and means for supporting said rollers above and spaced from the inclined bottom.

5. In an acid concentrating apparatus. a container having an inclined bottom adapted to .drain from the 'outside toward the center thereof. a lead lining in said container, means for supporting and maintaining the bottom ot' the lining tlat including movable plates. rollers tor supporting said plates, and means t'or supptu'ting said rollers above and spaced l'rom the inclined bottom. said means comprising spaced upstanding lugs carried b v the latter.

t3. ln an acid concentrating apparatus, a cylintflrical container having a bottom inclined to drain from the outside toward the on said plates.

center thereof, a plurality of circular series of upstanding lugs on said bottom, the lugs of each series being spaced circumferentially'"' prising a plurality of containers, each con- `tainer consisting of a shell having an in-' and the top surfaces of the lugs being substantially flush, rollers on said lugs, sector platesv on said rollers, and a lead lining in-v sald container having a fiat bottom resting 7. An acid concentrating apparatus comprising a'plurality of containers, each container consisting of a shell having an inclined bottom provided with a nozzle at the low portion thereof, a lining for the shell having a fiat bottom, a conduit connecting the bottom of the lining of one container l with the bottom of the lining of the next container and passing through said nozzles,

and a casing connected to said nozzles andsurrounding said conduit and forming a drain for acid leakage.

8. An acid concentrating apparatus comclined bottom provided with a nozzle at the low portion thereof, a liningfor the shell having a iat bottom, a conduit connecting the bottom of the lining of one container 'with the bottom of the lining of thencxt container and extending downward through one nozzle thence horizontally thence up- Ward through the nozzle of lthe next container, and a casing spaced from and surrounding said conduit to protect the same and form a drain for acid leakage.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

J OHN PATTEN. 

